Suturing is a simple procedure when it is performed on external tissues because the needle and suture can be easily manipulated. However, in endoscopic or other minimally invasive surgical procedures that require suturing of internal tissues, access to the suturing area is limited and this limits the ability to manipulate the needle and suture. Instruments and methods for suturing remotely are especially important in these minimally invasive surgical procedures such as laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures.
Minimizing the steps and instrument manipulation required to pass a suture through an internal tissue body and reliably retrieve the suture for subsequent manipulation may result in more streamlined and reliable surgical procedures, shorter surgery duration, and improved patient outcomes. In addition, reduction of the number of access cannulas or instrument ports necessary to perform a procedure will result in decreased tissue trauma. Accordingly there is a need to minimize the number of steps, the repositioning of instruments, and the number of access points during endoscopic suturing procedures.